New Vegas' lead designer wants more than 'black-and-white choice' in Fallout 4

It seems as if every Fallout fan has their own wishlist for the next installment in the series. Many hope for certain locations and settings, some yearn for robust characters, and others desire specific game mechanics. However, Josh Sawyer, Fallout: New Vegas' lead designer, wants a greater sense of moral agency from Fallout 4.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Sawyer said "Fallout games are best when the choices are -- and this applies to role-playing games in general, but Fallout is a more desperate world -- more agonizing. They feel more appropriate to the post-apocalyptic genre. So, I hope that whatever twists and turns the story takes, it's more nuanced than a black-and-white choice." Sawyer went on to cite the likes of Fallout 1 and Mad Max as examples of stories where the resolution was deeper than "everything turned out good/bad for the protagonist."

With regard to New Vegas, Sawyer explained how he tried to capture that experience. "A lot of stuff I did in New Vegas was to try and make choices feel more impactful and meaningful, and to challenge the player. Some people want to go through the wasteland like a tourist, which is fine -- they don't really want it to be super-difficult. Personally I like things to be a little more challenging, and there's a segment of players that also want [that]. I don't have any doubt in this."